Fungi. 215 



dividual plant exhibits a great variety of colors, though a 

 species is sometimes variable in color. Generally the 

 margin of the cap is paler than the disk or central portion, 

 but seldom of a different color. When different colors do 

 occur in the same plant they are generally found in different 

 parts of it, as the stem, lamellge or cap, or as differently 

 colored zones or belts encircling the disk of the cap. The 

 prevailing colors of the microscopic species are yellow, 

 orange, brown and black. The colors of the soft fleshy Fungi 

 are very imperfectly retained in drying, while those of the 

 dry coriaceous species change but little. 



Passing from the consideration of color to that of num- 

 ber, we may safely assert that theFungi in number of species 

 as species are now understood, not only far surpass any 

 other division of Cryptogamic plants, but probably equal 

 or even exceed all these combined. By referring to the 

 catalogue of plants of North Carolina, and the reference is 

 made with much confidence, since the author has been an 

 enterprising life-long botanist and the list is without doubt 

 very nearly a complete one, we find the whole number of 

 species recorded to be 4,849, of which 1,873 are flowering 

 plants and 2,392 are Fungi, showing an excess of Fungi 

 over the flowering plants of 519 species and that with thirty- 

 two more species of Fungi they would constitute one-half 

 the entire flora of the State. It is quite certain that these 

 proportions do not exist in every locality, but they afford 

 good ground for considering the number of species of 

 Fungi in any locality greater than we are accustomed to 

 think. There are comparatively few species of flowering 

 plants that have no species of Fungus parasitic upon them, 

 either while living or decaying. And sometimes a single 

 species is subject to the attacks of a half dozen of these 

 parasites. The question naturally suggests itself, if these 

 plants are so numerous why is it that they are so seldom 

 seen ? Chiefly for two reasons. A vast number of them 



